Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lompoc, California 93436
Tuesady, May 25, 1993 2:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT AT ABOUT 2335 HOURS ON A FLIGHT TO LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA. AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED AT ABOUT 0930 HOURS THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY NEARBY AIR FORCE BASE PERSONNEL. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED AT ABOUT 1310 HOURS. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HILLSIDE ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT THE MOUNTAIN TOPS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE OBSCURED WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY. THE AIRPLANE HIT A HILL AT THE 1487 FOOT LEVEL, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL. THE PILOT BEGAN THE FLIGHT AFTER WORKING FROM 1500 HOURS TO 2330 HOURS. HE FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN, BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE IT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF ON A CLOSED RUNWAY AT PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD 2 HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME. THE NDB-B APPROACH PLATE FOR LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA WAS FOUND CLIPPED OPEN IN THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW CEILING, FOG, DRIZZLE, OBSCURATION, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/25/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 230 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LOMPOC |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93436 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 903 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 25 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1440 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4783J |
| NTSB Number | LAX93FA223 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17273676 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 4911 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | J AND L AVIATION, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1660 LA REINA WAY 1A |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALM SPRINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92264 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BERMUDA AIR SERVICES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 79880 AVENUE 42 |
| Operator City | BERMUDA DUNES |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92201 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PSP |
| Departure City | PALM SPRINGS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2330 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | LPC |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |